Russia warns U.S. strike on Syria would ‘sharply aggravate’ crisis

Russia made it clear Monday that it would oppose a military strike against Syria, complicating the Obama administration’s hope for an international response to the latest allegations of chemical weapons use.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russian television that any attack on Syria that’s not endorsed by the UN Security Council would be a “very grave violation of international law” that would “sharply aggravate” the situation, Reuters reports. The comments come as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel vowed that any retaliation would be taken “in concert with the international community and within the framework of legal justification.”

“We have no plans to go to war with anyone,” Lavrov said. “If anybody thinks that bombing and destroying the Syrian military infrastructure, and leaving the battlefield for the opponents of the regime to win, would end everything – that is an illusion.”

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